My Favorite Things

I have tried a lot of different pet products over the years. Most of those on this list are things that I use in my own home with my own pets, as well as with clients. I have grouped them by their use to make them easy to find. You can click on the picture or link to head straight to Amazon and buy them yourself. As I discover more products that I love, I’ll continue to add them to this page, so keep checking back.

(I do receive a small commission on sales through these links.)

Keeping treats handy…

Having treats readily available at the right moments is vital for training success. Here’s how I keep treats around.

**Ruffwear Home Trail Hip Pack:** https://amzn.to/3FPiosT
This bag is amazing! It doesn’t flop around when you move, zippers closed when you don’t need it, and holds a ton!

**Zip Top Dish:** https://amzn.to/3FCW0TG
The small Zip Top Dish fits perfectly inside the Ruffwear Hip Pack and holds it open so you can easily access your treats. Unlike a regular zip lock bag, it won’t fold over and get twisted up! Seal it closed when you’re done to prevent the treats from drying out.

**Chuckit Treat Tote:** https://amzn.to/3FLmBxO
Simple clip-on treat bag. Great for grab and go treats.

**Pet Safe Treat Pouch:** https://amzn.to/41zXSnC
This was my favorite treat bag before I converted to hip bags. The hinged opening stays open so you can grab your treats easily and then holds the bag closed when you’re done.

**OXO Pop Containers:** https://amzn.to/41ApokO
These containers are great for keeping treats in various convenient places around the house. In my house, we use big ones, small ones, and the cute cookie jar. Side benefit is the “pop” noise can act as an interrupter and attention getter!

**Doggone Good Rapid Rewards Deluxe Treat Pouch:** https://amzn.to/3DS96vK
This thing holds a lot of treats and stays open pretty well on its own. There’s a little magnet to hold it closed when you don’t need it.

What’s in the bag?

These are some of the treats you’ll see me carrying in my treat bag.

**Bil-Jac Little Jacs Small Dog Training Treats:** https://amzn.to/443Yi8n
This is most of what I use. The size is great and they easily break up even smaller without crumbling. Most dogs love them.

**LIFE ESSENTIALS BY CAT-MAN-DOO All Natural Freeze Dried Chicken for Dogs & Cats:** https://amzn.to/3XXlVLW
This freeze dried chicken is a great high-value treat. They can be a bit dusty, so I mix them with the moist training treats.

**Blue Ridge Naturals Salmon Jerky:** https://amzn.to/4iy9oqE
Sometimes, especially while walking, it can help to have your treats in stick form and break off pieces as you go. These are my favorite (really smell) stick treats.

**Cloud Star Tricky Trainers:** https://amzn.to/4ilMYZF
The perfect small, crunchy treat to hide in all the key areas in your house.

**Lickety Stick:** https://amzn.to/4iNMXhb
This lickable treat is perfect for when the situation or physical limitations make giving individual treats difficult.

Walk this way…

Your walking equipment can make a huge difference in the walking experience for both the dog and the handler. Here is what I usually recommend.

**Ruffwear Hi & Light Harness:** https://amzn.to/4bM4yDO
My favorite harness for dogs with narrow shoulders. There is a leash attachment point on the front and the back.

**Leather Leash:** https://amzn.to/42dEcaq
There is nothing more grippy and soft feeling than a well broken in leather leash. This is the leash I use regularly for my dog. It feels a little stiff at first but gets softer with each use.

**Freedom Harness:** https://amzn.to/42bEdvz
My favorite harness for bully breeds and other dogs with wide shoulders. There is a leash attachment point on the front and the back.

**Biothane Leash/Longline:** https://a.co/d/1L0TZCe
Biothane is great because it feels like broken in leather, but it won’t absorb water or other nastiness. Just wipe it down and you’re good to go. This comes in a variety of lengths and widths- you could do a 6ft leash length or up to 33ft to give your dog room to roam.

**Blue-9 Balance Harness:** https://amzn.to/3Rh40fA
My favorite harness for dogs that don’t like things being slipped over their heads. There is a leash attachment point on the front and the back.

**Guardian Gear Cotton Web Longline:** https://amzn.to/43TZBGS
I have had this 30ft cotton web longline for about 20 years and I’m still in love. It’s super light-weight and easy to handle. When it gets gross, I just toss it in a laundry bag and put it in the washer and drier.

**Halti Headcollar:** https://amzn.to/3FEOWpC
I will use a Halti when the strength difference between the owner and dog is extreme, and we need a bit of mechanical advantage. The dog must be trained to accept it before going on a walk.

**Martingale Collar:** https://amzn.to/4hlAO1M
This collar has a limited slip feature to prevent the dog from backing out. Slip it over the dog’s head, and when the loop is tightened, you know it can’t slip back over the head. Plus, no buckles that can break. I like to attach this collar to a harness or Halti using a safety strap or carabiner as an extra layer of safety.

Keep ‘em busy…

Dogs are scavengers by nature. They love to work to uncover their food. Here are some of my favorite forms of edible enrichment.

**Woof Pupsicle:** https://amzn.to/4bFS0O8
The Pupsicle is my favorite food stuffed toy! It’s so easy to clean and fill. The silicone ice cube tray can be used to make and freeze many of your own fillings. You can be prepared for days without needing to buy multiple toys.

**Kong Wobbler:** https://amzn.to/4iF3iEZ
The Kong Wobbler is weighted at the bottom, releasing treats or kibble as the dog kicks it around. Since, it’s good size and easy to fill, you could feed out a good portion of your dog’s meal in it. My dog loves hers!

**LickiMat:** https://amzn.to/4l2dyso
The LickiMat is great for calming a dog while keeping them still and focused. Fill it with anything mushy and freeze for more time.

**More Nina Ottosson Puzzle Toys:** https://amzn.to/4j0yleD
The Lickin’ Layers toy is a great enrichment toy for dogs, like mine, that get easily frustrated without continuous food delivery. It can take a while to fully empty!

**Chewise Bully Stick Holder:** https://amzn.to/4bO8zHO
A bully stick holder prevents your dog from swallowing or choking on the last couple inches of the bully stick. I have tried a lot of different ones and I like this one best. It has metal teeth that really hold the bully stick in place.

**Nina Ottosson Puzzle Toys:** https://amzn.to/3Y07BT0
Nina Ottosson puzzle toys are great because they offer a variety of different difficulty levels to try depending on your dog’s skill and persistence. You can also adjust the difficulty of each toy as your dog learns how to solve it.

**Ceramic Puzzle Bowl:** https://amzn.to/42esRa1
This is the puzzle bowl my dog eats her meals out of. The ceramic is heavy, so it doesn’t move around while the dog eats. It also won’t get chewed up. I like that it’s pretty to look at too.

**Natural Farm Bully Sticks:** https://amzn.to/4iyFRx5
These are the bully sticks I give my dog. The whole package is full of nice thick sticks.

**IQ Treat Ball:** https://amzn.to/41Bp5X0
Treat balls are great for getting your dog moving around, while using their nose and brain. You can adjust the rate of reinforcement of this treat ball by adding or removing the inner disks.

**Snuffle Mat:** https://amzn.to/4232Klc
I prefer snuffle mats made of fleece. The floppiness of the fabric adds some challenge as the dog uses their nose to find all the hidden food.

**Even More Nina Ottosson Puzzle Toys:** https://amzn.to/4l903rh

Keep ‘em safe…

Management is a huge and vital part of any behavior program. It is so important to keep everyone safe and prevent the rehearsal of behaviors that we don’t want to see. Here is some of the management equipment that I recommend.

**Pen/Room Dividing Barrier:** https://amzn.to/4kYA59w
This barrier can be used as a pen, but it’s great for dividing a room so that dogs/kids/guests can be kept separate while still being in the room with you. I’ve had one in my living room for years and I love it.

**Retractable Gate:** https://amzn.to/4iFUgHK
Retractable gates are there when you need them to be and roll up against the wall when you don’t.

**Extra Retractable Gate Hooks:** https://amzn.to/4c3ZCdl
You can change the configuration of your house by adding extra retractable gate hooks. Ours are set up so the gate can block the stairs or keep a dog/kid in the living room depending on which set of hooks we use.

**Collar Safety Strap:** https://amzn.to/4ifMtjX
Add a little extra safety by attaching your dog’s leash to her harness as well as her collar. If one breaks or they slip out, you’ll still have an attachment.

**Boomerang Tag:** https://amzn.to/4kBJwM6
This is the only ID tag that I could get to stay on my dog’s collar when she was a puppy. She was a Houdini for removing even locking tag holders when no one was looking.

**Pressure Gate with Cat Door:** https://amzn.to/4ijelDG
Block off a doorway with a sturdy pressure gate with a self-closing door. The cat door means that cats can have their own personal space, and you can keep the litter box protected.

**Wall Nanny:** https://amzn.to/41RLErJ
The Wall Nanny helps to stabilize your pressure gate. We screwed ours into the wall so that the gate cannot move.

**Frosted Window Film:** https://amzn.to/422oNZe
Blocking a reactive dog’s view out their “sentry windows” is essential for reducing stress in the entire house. This window film blocks your dog’s view while still letting some light in. Usually you only need to frost the bottom of the window.

**Privacy Fence Screening:** https://amzn.to/4iVRqyz
Blocking your dog’s view through the fence can prevent a lot of fence running and barking, helping your dog enjoy their time outside.

**Baskerville Muzzle:** https://amzn.to/43Uew3Q

**3 Panel Gate:** https://amzn.to/4iFlhuL
This three panel gate works well for when your walls are too far apart or don’t meet well enough for a pressure gate. It can often be used to “airlock” an outside door.

**Wire Leash:** https://amzn.to/4ixhHmR
This wire leash is great to use as a drag line to get quick control of a rowdy puppy or adolescent dog. Because it’s plastic coated wire, you can leave it on (supervised) and the dog can’t just chew through it.

**Sound Machine:** https://amzn.to/4ldj0ZI
A sound machine set up at the front of the house can block a variety of neighborhood sound triggers. This one plays a variety of sounds, including white noise and calming music.

Just for fun…

Toys can strengthen the bond, release energy, and (sometimes most importantly) occupy an excited dog’s mouth. These are some toys that I’ve found many dogs are big fans of.